Entertainment
Fearne Cotton, CoppaFeel! patron, explains why she’s waiting until her kids are teenagers to talk about health-Sabrina Barr-Entertainment – Metro
‘I just think when they’re older, teenagers maybe, that might be the time,’ the podcast host said.
Fearne Cotton at Festifeel (Picture: Derek Bremner)
Fearne Cotton has opened up about when she thinks she’ll broach the topic of health to a greater degree with her children, explaining why she thinks it’s important to ensure kids don’t get ‘freaked out’ because their ‘imaginations can run wild’.
For over a decade, Fearne, 41, has been heavily involved with CoppaFeel! alongside founder Kris Hallenga, becoming a patron for the breast cancer charity and curating the event Festifeel for the organisation, which this year saw performances from entertainers including comedian Rosie Jones and band McFly.
The aim of CoppaFeel! is to educate young people across the UK to check their breasts, to ensure that ‘all breast cancers are diagnosed at the earliest stage possible’.
While attending this year’s Festifeel after a three-year hiatus, Metro.co.uk spoke to Fearne about how her work with the charity influences conversations she has with her two children, who she shares with her husband, musician Jesse Wood.
The podcaster and author responded that when it comes to her kids, she thinks he wants to wait until they’re teenagers to have discussions about preventing illness.
‘My kids are seven and nine, so I haven’t sort of been too hot on explaining about preventing illness at this point,’ the former Celebrity Juice star said.
Fearne with CoppaFeel! founder Kris Hallenga at this year’s Festifeel (Picture: David M. Benett/Getty Images)
How should you check your breasts for lumps or irregularities?
Discussing the importance of being breast aware, Addie Mitchell, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Breast Cancer Now, wants women to know there is no right or wrong way to check your breasts.
‘It’s about looking and feeling regularly so any changes can be spotted quickly,’ she said. ‘The sooner breast cancer is diagnosed, the more effective treatment may be.
‘Whatever your age, being aware of all the signs and symptoms of breast cancer is crucial – it’s not just a lump to look out for. Other changes could be a nipple becoming inverted or a change in texture of the skin.
‘While most symptoms won’t mean breast cancer, if you notice anything unusual for you get it checked out by your GP.
‘Anyone with questions can call Breast Cancer Now’s nurses free on 0808 800 6000 or visit breastcancernow.org.uk.’
‘We’ve definitely had friends or family members that have been unwell, and we’ve been very honest with them and said what’s going on with them and what’s happened with them or their treatment programme, so they’re very aware of it.’
Fearne’s kids also know all about her work with CoppaFeel!, so they ‘totally understand it and get what it is’.
‘But I haven’t had a chat with them about them ever having something,’ she added.
‘I just think when they’re older, teenagers maybe, that might be the time, but I think there’s a fine line between, “Okay, check yourselves, make sure you’re okay” for the young kids, or then them becoming completely freaked out, because imaginations can run wild.’
Jesse and Fearne share two children together (Picture: Darren Gerrish/WireImage)
Fearne acknowledged that there are of course young people who don’t get the option to wait to have these conversations, because they might be diagnosed at a young age.
‘But I think I haven’t felt the need to have a big chat with them about physical health as yet or mental health really, which is strange considering that’s literally all I talk about these days,’ the Happy Place podcast host said.
‘I think until we get to the point where I think, okay, they’ve got enough to deal with in terms of school, social circles, pressure at school, then I might broach that subject.
‘I would certainly be very reactive if they came to me with any issues, mentally or physically, obviously. So it’s not something I’ve done as yet. But we’ll see what happens.’
Fearne celebrating the 10th anniversary of CoppaFeel! in 2019 (Picture: Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
CoppaFeel! was founded by Kris after she was initially misdiagnosed, eventually receiving her breast cancer diagnosis when she was 23 years old after seeing her doctor three times.
‘If you’ve been told you’ve got the all clear or whatever, but you still don’t feel right, I do think you have to go back and push and fight a bit to get a second opinion, or to get somebody else to say what else might be going on. Because you know your body,’ Fearne previously told Metro.co.uk.
‘You might be told you’ve got the all clear and feel like yeah, great, I feel fine. But if you have some sort of inkling that something just isn’t quite normal, then I think you do need to go back. I’m sure it’s much more common than we’d like to think, being misdiagnosed and things not getting treated.’
The TV and radio personality recalled a time a woman visited the CoppaFeel stand! at her Happy Place festival, which inspired her to go home and check her boobs.
The woman then discovered she did have breast cancer, and is since in the all-clear after receiving treatment.
‘It’s unfortunately common, and that’s why we all have to do all we can to catch things early so that they are treatable, and there is a really good chance of a proper, full recovery,’ Fearne said.
Metro.co.uk joins forces with CoppaFeel!
This year Metro.co.uk are the proud sponsors of breast cancer charity CoppaFeel!’s music festival Festifeel, specially curated by their patron, Fearne Cotton.
Taking place on Sunday 18 September at London’s Omeara, the line up includes headliners McFly, comedian Rosie Jones and Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts.
You can find out more about CoppaFeel! here, but in the meantime, here’s three simple steps from the charity to get you started on your chest-checking journey:
Look
Look at your boobs, pecs or chest.
Look at the area from your armpit, across and beneath your boobs, pecs or chest, and up to your collarbone.
Be aware of any changes in size, outline or shape and changes in skin such as puckering or dimpling.
Feel
Feel each of your boobs, pecs or chest.
Feel the area from your armpit, across and beneath your boobs, pecs or chest, and up to your collarbone.
Be aware of any changes in skin such as puckering or dimpling, or any lumps, bumps or skin thickening which are different from the opposite side.
Notice your nipples
Look at each of your nipples.
Be aware of any nipple discharge that’s not milky, any bleeding from the nipple, any rash or crusting on or around your nipple area that doesn’t heal easily and any change in the position of your nipple.
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